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Blue skies and old barns make for beautiful landscapes. On a day that several are shopping, we spent the day outside with cows.

Day 25 – Landscapes

This is something I struggle with. Landscapes are a beautiful thing to photograph, but it is not something I feel that I really capture the true beauty of. Today as we were headed up to the red barn to work a group of cows, I stopped. The sky, the few clouds, the barn and the windmill just spoke to me. It was my goal to capture what I saw and at the end of the day I will enjoy it more than any time spent in a Black Friday shopping line.

Plant 2014 is still going on. We had to park the tractor and planter for a few days due to rain, but plan to start again today. This field that you see in this weeks Farm Picture Friday is next to a large creek and is known as the Beecham long bottoms. The Beecham family and our family have been farming together for generations now. This ground, like all the ground we farm, is no-till. A Phillips Harrow is taken across the land to just stir up the top. It does not dig in like a disk does.

Last year soybeans were planted in this field. As you can see weeds have grown up, but those have been sprayed. Once they die back they do leave a cover that helps to keep moisture in the ground so that the corn can grow. This picture was taken on Sunday afternoon. Since then we have seen temps in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Not the typical temperatures for us in May, but this is Missouri and last year on the 3rd of May we had snow.

Next week the temperatures are supposed to be back in the 80’s and we will be on to planting soybeans. With any luck the sunshine and rain will continue. It is all up to mother nature, but a prayer here and there helps too.

How is your planting going? Are you done? Have you started?

Blessings to you and all farmers who are working to grow our food and fiber,

A few days ago we went to the field to help with the sweet corn planting. We plant a sweet corn that is sooooo sweet, we have to work hard at keeping the wild animals out of it.

We are not commercial growers of sweet corn. We raise as much as we can because we love to have sweet corn all year-long, not just a few days during the summer. You may be asking, “Isn’t the garden the best place to plant your sweet corn?”. That is a very valid question. My garden has three rows of sweet corn planted in it and it has just come up through the ground. I will plant at least three more rows later this week in hopes that we have a few weeks of eating corn on the cob and not just a few days. The “Big Patch” that we planted in the field, is what we not only eat on, but also spend a few days during the summer freezing. Have you ever worked up and froze corn? It is a JOB! Such a big job, that in this family, if you don’t come and help at least for a bit, you probably are not going to get to see any in your freezer. Hopefully when you come for a visit, it is served during a meal.

As you can see the planter makes fast work of getting an acre of sweet corn planted.

This year there was a “supervisor” of the sweet corn planting. She took her responsibilities very seriously.

What kind of sweet corn do we plant? Burrus’svery own COON’S CHOICE III!

Do the raccoon’s really like it? Why yes, they do. We move the sweet corn patch every year in hopes that the raccoon’s have a harder time finding it. An electric fence is also put up around the outside to keep the raccoon’s and deer away. Some years it works, but every once in a while the raccoon’s do get in and wipe it out. This is also the reason why we try to freeze some every year.

Now that the “Big Patch” is planted, we will check on its progress and make sure that the electric fence is put up before it tassels.

These three sweet corn kids can’t wait unit the corn is ready! (The “supervisor” has a few more teeth that need to grow in before she can enjoy corn on the cob.)

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Welcome to Rural America! Small towns with local elevators/feed stores and a main street. Where everyone waves when they meet you on the road, (or sees you standing on the side of the road with a camera in your hand). Places were everyone knows everyone and is willing to lend a hand.

A place where agriculture and farms are the norm. Kids grow up driving pickups, four-wheelers and tractors. School sport events are a place to socialize and catch up. The local FFA chapter sells fruit in the fall and the 4-H club is out helping neighbors and picking up trash.

Where the black top roads are labeled with letters and stop signs have holes in them (bullet holes that is). Deer season is a time for community breakfasts and tall tales. Combines are seen in the fields and traveling on the black top roads.

In Rural America it takes a few hours just to visit 10 houses while Trick or Treating and you have more candy then you can eat in a year. The neighbors may be as close as half a mile or as far at five, but they are still your neighbor. When the steer gets out next door, you either put it back in, or place it in your corral until they can come and get it.

And here in Rural America you seen sites like this Farm Picture Friday. A place to call home.

*Be sure and check out the new blog HOUSEWIVES OF RURAL AMERICA. Even if you don’t call or consider yourself a Housewife, they are posting great stories that all women can relate too and have great discussions on their FaceBook page.

This was my view this morning. Beautiful. To me that is. To others it may not be and that is fine. They have their own view that they think is beautiful. Each day I am blessed to be able to look out at my view, take a step outside, breath in the fall air and say, “Thank you”.

Thank you for what? For another day on this earth. For a husband who loves me and children who need me. For the wind and the rain and the sun and the moon. For the talents God has given me. For the crops and the livestock. For family and friends. For a roof over my head and food on my table.